Are Resumes Obsolete?

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We might not have jetpacks or meals that come in pills in the year 2012, but here's a shocking revelation: Resumes are now being considered passe and unnecessary according to many employers. A recent Wall Street Journal gives the skinny on this surprising new trend:

Companies are increasingly relying on social networks such as LinkedIn, video profiles and online quizzes to gauge candidates' suitability for a job. While most still request a résumé as part of the application package, some are bypassing the staid requirement altogether.

Smaller entrepreneurs might not feel comfortable with such tactics, but it's at least something to keep in mind.

Adobe, the makers of Photoshop and many other expensive but dazzling graphics editors, goes a step further: "A current opening for an Adobe Illustrator expert asks applicants about their skills, but also asks questions such as 'What is your ideal dream job?' and 'What is the best job you've ever had?' Applicants have the option to attach a resume, but it isn't required."

By no means is a resume a deal-breaker in a job interview, but really? People aren't caring about, you know, someone's most relevant work experiences prior to seeking this new position? And if companies are ditching the "staid" resume, why are hackneyed job-interview questions like the ones Adobe uses -- which sound an awful lot like "Where do you see yourself in five years?" -- given such importance?

Careerbuilder.com has a great breakdown of what some of those typical questions are getting at, but it's unlikely that chucking resumes aside will make hiring any less of a crapshoot. Until we get Minority Report-style technology, there's no way of knowing how an employee will act once they have their new job. One would think knowing more about someone's past would be a good indicator of that, but apparently not?

David Wolinsky is a freelance writer and a lifelong Chicagoan. In addition to currently serving as an interviewer-writer for Adult Swim, he's also a columnist for EGM. He was the Chicago city editor for The Onion A.V. Club where he provided in-depth daily coverage of this city's bustling arts/entertainment scene for half a decade. When not playing video games for work he's thinking of dashing out to Chicago Diner, Pizano's, or Yummy Yummy. His first career aspirations were to be a game-show host.